Double rotation elastic fluid turbine



' Nov; 4, 1947. R. o. J. MOLLERY 9 09 DOUBLE ROTATION ELASTIC FLUIDTURBINE Filed Nov. 15, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. o. J.MULLER DOUBLE ROTATION ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE Filed Nov. 15 1945 Nov. 4,194 7.

Patented Nov. 4, 1947 DOUBLE ROTATION ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE Ragnar Olov.lacob Miiller, Finspong, Sweden Application November 15, 1945, SerialNo. 628,682 In Sweden December 16, 1944 This invention relates to doublerotation elastic fluid turbines of the radial or axial flow type, andmore particularly to turbines of said class which are provided with anauxiliary impulse blade system adapted to convert, at a high efficiency,the highest pressure stage into work.

An example of the turbine of this class is described in the BritishPatent No. 570,624 where it is disclosed as a driving mechanism forvessels, especially torpedoes. For such purposes the double rotationreaction type of turbine is a preferred driving motor, as the torques ofthe oppositely moving turbine rotors are equal to each other, so thatthe reaction moments maybalance each other. If, however, as the case maybe in respect of the driving mechanism disclosed in said patent, thedouble rotation reaction type of turbine is provided with an auxiliaryset of impulse turbine blades, reaction forces are produced in thestationary expansion nozzles belonging to the impulse blade system whichproduce torques appearing as a tendency of the torpedo body to heelover. In case of torpedoes it is, however, of great importance to avoidheeling over.

The object of this invention is to suppress to the largest extentpossible the heeling over tendency and, should a heeling overnevertheless occur, to restore the normal state of balance.

In order to avoid the formation of torques, that may give rise toheeling over, the auxiliary impulse blade system according to a featureof this invention is provided with two axially spaced sets of stationaryexpansion nozzles with the nozzles of one set directed oppositely tothose of the other set as far as the peripheral direction is concerned.By this means the reaction forces as produced in the expansion nozzlesof one set may be balanced by the oppositely directed reaction forcesproduced in the nozzles of the other set.

According to a further feature of the invention means are provided torestore the equilibrium of the vessel if in spite of the above saidarrangement of the expansion nozzles a heeling over should appear. Tothis end a member unaffected by the heeling over movement is providedwhich is adapted to control, either directly or by means of aservomotor, the distribution of the driving fluid to the expansionnozzles of the impulse blade system so that the counteracting reactionforces above referred to become different in such a way that theprevailing reaction may restore the vessel to its normal position.

6 Claims. (01 253-) In the accompanying drawings a form of the inventionis illustrated. Fig. 1 is an axial section of a portion of a torpedoturbine according to the invention. Fig. 2 is an axial section on alarger scale of an impulse section of a somewhat modified structure.Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line III--III of Fig. 2 of a portion orone group of expansion nozzles. Fig. l is an axial section of an impulsesection of another modified form. Figs. 5-7 illustrate a controlmechanism according to the invention. Fig. 5 is a section on the lineV-V of Fig. 6, and Fig. 6 is a section on the line VIVI of Fig. 5 andFig. 7. llhe quadrant k of Fig. 6 represents a section on the line k-kof Fig. 5. Fig. '7 shows a portion of the groups of nozzles shown inFig. 6, as seen from above. Fig. 8 shows a modified form of thisportion.

With reference to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 designates the body of thevessel, which may be assumed to be a torpedo, 2 is the turbine casing, 3is one turbine shaft and 4 the other turbine shaft. Shaft 4 isconcentrically surrounded by the tubular shaft 3 and may itself betubular, as shown. Shafts 3 and A may represent the propeller shafts ofthe torpedo or shafts coupled thereto. 5 is a turbine disc supported bythe other shaft 3, and 6 is a turbine disc supported by the inner shaft4. The turbine discs 5 and 6 carry the oppositely rotating blades of theradial flow reaction system I. Formed in the wall of shaft 4 in registerwith the blade system I are ports 8 to allow the driving fluid to enterthe shaft 4 that serves as a distance pipe. Connected to the turbinedisc 5 by means of a drumlike wall 9 is an inwardly extending turbinedisc ill which carries in conjunction with the opposite surface ofturbine disc 6 a set of impulse blades il -AI for double rotation. Inaddition, discs 6 and It] carry reaction blades 20, 2| situated on alarger radius than said impulse blades. Inserted between the turbinedisc l0 and a radially extending wall l2 of the turbine casing is alabyrinth packing i3. Provided inside the impulse blade system are twoannular sets of expansion nozzles l4, l5 adaptedto admit the drivingfiuid to the impulse blades from a central passage H6.

The innermost impulse blade ring H situated next to said nozzles whichis attached to the turbine disc 5 is adapted to be impelled by thedriving fluid admitted from the set of nozzles i4 only, whereas thesecond impulse blade ring I l which is carried by the turbine disc 10comprises two axially spaced sets of blades, one of action forcesemanating from the expansion nozzles become therefore oppositelydirected and, since they are equal, they may balance each other.

Since part of the driving fiuid as delivered by the nozzles actsdirectly on the second blade ring I R, an increased amount of powermaybe yielded by this blade ring. By this means a power balance may beobtained within the impulse-blade system proper which is not obtainablein conventional double rotation impulse turbines having but one passageforthe driving fluid, in which the rotor half to which the blade ringfirst impolled by the driving fluid belongs, receives and deliversmorepower than the other half of the rotor. In certain kinds of turbines,especially those adapted to drive electric dynamos, 'itmay be desired todistribute the power in some appropriate way and this may be done bymeans of an impulse turbine modified as above described.

In Fig. 2 is shown an impulse turbine in which the-driving fluid issupplied at the outer periphe'ry of th'eturbine to then pass inwardly,the design being for the rest similar to that above described. Thereference numerals l4 and i5 designiate as before two annular expansionnozzles and It isthe'common fluid supply passage there-- for. 6 and H!are the two oppositely rotating turbine discs carrying the impulseblades. The innermost impulse blade ring 'I I comprises a single set ofblades situated right opposite the nozzle ring Hi, whereas each of theremaining blade rings H and H is provided with two sets of blades,separated by a partition ll and each situated right opposite anindividual one of the nozzle rings M and 15. If desired, the partitionIl may be dispensed with.

'Fig. 3 shows the position of guide blades I t and 16 provided in thenozzle rings to divide each of them into a plurality of separateorifices. As shown, the direction of the orifices of one nozzle crossthe direction of those of the other nozzle under very obtuse angleslooking from the inside or the outside of the nozzle rings, so that thefluid will leave the two nozzle sets in nearly tangential, opposeddirections.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, there may be a compar'atively wide radial gapbetween the nozzle ring '55 and the second blade ring i I The width ofthis gap maybe reduced so as to agree with the width 'Of the radialspace between each two adjacent blade rings by placing the set ofnozzles nearer to said second blade ring. as illustrated in Fig. 4.Here, the same reference numerals are used as in Fig. 2. Another way inwhich to obtain the same efiect is to increase the radial thick ness ofthe second blade ring H right opposite the nozzle ring l5.

In the structures above described with. reference to Figs. l3, thosereaction forces which emanate from one nozzle ring will be balanced bythose emanating from the other nozzle ring. In the embodiment shown inFig. 4 the balancing efiec is not equally perfect owing to the placingof the two nozzle rings on difierentradii. Evidently, a

4 certain tendency towards heeling over cannot be avoided in this case.

In order to avoid any tendency towards heeling over that may appear fromthe one reason or the other, a member that cannot be affected by theheeling over movements may be provided which may either be constructedto act as a fluid distributor for the expansion nozzles or adapted tocontrol such a distributor via a servo motor. Figs. 5-! illustrate anexample of the said first mentioned arrangement and Fig 8 illustrates amodification thereof.

Mounted on an edge It coinciding with the axis ofgthe turbine is apendulum [9 the lower the end of which forms a valve body 2D, the

operative surface of which is concentric with the turbine'axis andsituated in close proximity to the inner cylindrical surface of thenozzle rings. Below said valve surface the nozzles I4 and I5 arereplaced by a solid ring segment 21 the profile of'which lookingfrom thecentre of the turbii'ie may be as'shown in Fig. 7 or Fig. 8. In theseillustrations the outline of the valve body is indicated'by'dottedlines, as shown at 20.

In Fig. 7 a steplike form of ring segment 2| is shown, the solidsegments of the nozzle rings l4 and I5 being in staggered relation toeach other, inasmuch as the solid segment of nozzle ring 14 is displacedto the left in relation to the solid segment of nozzle ring i5. In Fig.8 the solid segments of the two nozzle rings are located in axialalinement. In the first mentioned case the profile of the valve body 20is square-shaped, in the last-mentioned case steplike. In both cases thevalve body extends normally slightly over the nozzle ring H; to theright of the solid segment 21 and to acorresponding extent over thenozzle ring 2'5 to the left of the solid segment 21. By this means'thereaction force emanating from one nozzle ring becomes equal to thatemanating from the'other nozzle ring. In case of a heeling over, forinstance, to the right in the drawing, so that the solid segment 2!moves to the left in Figs. 'iaridB, the pendulum 19 due to its remainingin vertical position will cover by its valve body 29 more orifices ofthe nozzle ring [4 to the right of the solid segment El, while at thesame time completely uncovering the nozzle ring 15 to the left of saidsegment. As a result, the admission of driving fluid to the nozzle ring14 will be re duced, allowing the reaction forces emanating from thenozzle ring iii to preponderate over those emanating from the nozzlering i4 and effect a turning of the casing of the turbine, correspendingin the example under consideration to a heeling over to the leftsufficient for restoring the normal equilibrium As already mentioned,the pendulum need not necessarily act as a valve, but may be arranged tocontrol a valve, as for instance, via a servomotor. The controllingdevice may, furthermore, be constructed so as to effectan increase (ordecrease) of the impulse produced by the he eling over movement, forinstance, so that a heeling over by one degree may efiect a turning ofthe valve by several degrees or by a fraction of a degree only,according as it is desired to efiecta more rapid or a more slowrestoration of the normal position.

what I clean is: k a p 1. Adriving mechanism forvessels comprising incombination, .acasing rigidly connected to the vessel, two rotatabledriven elements, a reaction type of turbine having two oppositelyrotatable main systems of reaction blades, each system being drivinglyconnected to rotate one of the delivering driving fluid to said bladeauxiliary system, an inlet positioned at the common axis of the drivenelements for admitting driving fluid directly to said nozzles, means todirect the exhaust fluid from said auxiliary blade system to the mainblade system, said nozzles being stationary with respect to the casingso that the oppositely acting turning moments resulting from thereaction forces produced in said sets of nozzles may balance each otherfor preventing heeling over of the casing and the vessel rigidlyconnected thereto.

2. A driving mechanism for vessels as claimed in claim 1, in which theimpulse blade system comprises more than one blade ring, and in whichthe impulse blade ring situated next to the sets of expansion nozzles isarranged so as to be impelled by the fluid admitted from one of saidsets of nozzles only, the next succeeding blade ring being arranged soas to be impelled, in part, directly by the fluid admitted from theother set of nozzles and, in part, by fluid that has already passed thesaid first-mentioned impulse blade ring.

3. A driving mechanism for vessels as claimed in claim 1, in which theimpulse blade system comprises concentric blade rings and in which theinnermost one of these blade rings is arranged to receive driving fluidfrom one set of nozzles only, while the blade ring next succeeding isarranged to be impelled, in part, directly by the fluid admitted fromthe other set of nozzles and, in part, by fluid that has already passedsaid first-mentioned impulse blade ring, said other set of expansionnozzles being displaced With relation to the first-mentioned set so asto extend nearly to the said last-mentioned blade ring.

4. A driving set for vessels as claimed in claim 1, in which the impulseblade system comprises concentric blade rings, and in which theinnermost one of these blade rings is arranged to receive driving fluidfrom one set of nozzles only, while the blade ring next succeeding isarranged to be impelled, in part, directly by the fluid admitted fromthe other set of nozzles and, in part, by fluid that has already passedsaid firstmentioned impulse blade ring, said last-mentioned impulseblade ring, which is arranged to be directly impelled by the fluiddelivered from said other set of expansion nozzles, being extended intoclose proximity to said set of nozzles.

5. A driving system for the propelling Olf vessels comprising incombination, a vessel, an elastic fluid turbine having a main system ofreaction blades for rotating a propeller shaft in one direction, acasing stationary with respect to said vessel, another main system ofreaction blades for rotating another propeller shaft in the oppositedirection, an auxiliary impulse blade system for converting the highestpressure stage of the driving fluid into work, two annular sets ofexpansion nozzles situated side by side for delivering driving fluid tosaid impulse blade system, the nozzles of the two sets being directed inopposite peripheral directions and being rigidly connected to the casingfor allowing the oppositely acting turning moments resulting from thereaction forces produced in the two sets of nozzles to balance eachother in order not to impart any turning tendency to the casing, and

means responsive to heeling of the casing for controlling the admissionof driving fluid through said sets of nozzles for maintaining the normalposition of the casing with respect to its axis.

6. A driving mechanism for the propelling of vessels comprising incombination with the body of the vessel, an elastic fluid turbine of thedouble rotation type including a casing rigidly connected to said vesseland a pair of oppositely rotatable shafts, a main system of reactionblades for rotating a propeller shaft in one direction, another mainsystem of reaction blades for rotating another propeller shaft in theopposite direction, and an auxiliary impulse blade system for convertingthe highest pressure stage of the driving fluid into work, two annularsets of expansion nozzles situated side by side for delivering drivingfluid to said impulse blade system, the nozzles of the two sets beingdirected in opposite peripheral directions and being rigidly connectedto the casing for allowing the oppositely acting turning momentsresulting from the reaction forces produced in the two sets of nozzlesto balance each other in order not to impart any turning tendency to thecasing, and a valve mounted so as to be responsive to heeling of theturbine as a whole and the vessel body rigidly connected therewith aboutthe axis of the turbine or another axis parallel thereto, which isadapted, to cover and uncover parts of the sets of expansion nozzlesunder the action of a turning moment, in order thereby to adjust thedistribution of driving fluid to both sets of nozzles with a view torestoring the normal position of the turbine and the vessel.

RAGNAR oLov JACOB MCSLLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,273,633 Ljungstrom July 23,1918 2,276,695 Lavarello Mar. 17, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 357,019 Great Britain Sept. 17, 1931 386,853 Great Britain Jan. 26,1933 572,458 Germany Mar. 16, 1933 611,741 Germany Apr. 5, 1935 621,436Germany Nov. 7, 1935 768,464 France May 14, 1934 768,465 France May 14,1934 768,466 France May 14, 1934

